Alpha and Omega Love Cannot Fail
by AlphaWolfSam
Summary: Continuing the movie with an absolutely riveting plot that will make you feel for these wolves in ways previously unimaginable. When life takes a turn for the worst, will love hold Kate and Humphrey together?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter Two**

**~Humphrey~**

"How could I have even thought for a moment that this would work?" Humphrey whispered to himself, "All of the trials, all of the time I spent tumbling head over heels after her, it was wasted. All I have to show is a broken heart and the tears from a long lost love." I turn my head to the sky and howl, a pitiful mournful noise that makes my spine crawl. The memories start flooding back as the rain rushes down my coat, thoughts from what I will never be able to love again.

"That was wonderful, you are wonderful" Kate whispered in my ear the night after our first moonlight howl. It was late in the night and we had taken shelter in a den, our den.

"Not as good as you, you're unmatchable" I gave her a kiss, "I'm just glad we can be together, and nothing can stand in our way anymore. We have a den, we are married, and soon we may have a family."

Kate looked up at me with her eyes shining gold, she looked surprised at the mention of a family. "Do you really think that" She hesitated, "Maybe we should? That's a big decision to make..."

"Someday, but it certainly doesn't have to be now" I said with affection.

"Exactly what I was thinking, let's just sleep for now. Morning will come soon and we will have to be ready, you on the other hand will be heading off for training. What will I do without you for a whole two weeks?"

"I was thinking the same, it will be hard for me to leave. The training is nothing compared to that" I joked.

"You're too kind" She whispered and snuggled close to me, "Good night Humphrey."

"Good night Kate, my love" And with those words, the night faded into a blissful peace full of my new found love.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**~Kate~**

The dim morning sun drifted in through the small opening of our den, warming my fur. The gentle coo of a dove just outside woke me up to find Humphrey cuddled around me, still fast asleep. I wanted to stay here like this, but all good things must come to an end.

"Humphrey" I whispered softly in his ear, which gave a little twich but still ignored me. So, as carefully as I could, I turned my head around as far as it would go and licked his nose.

His reaction was priceless as his eyes jerked open, then closed halfway when he saw it was me, "Good morning my love. What a pleasant way to begin a new day" He said sarcasticaly and returned the favor. I laughed and got up, with Humphrey following.

We stretched and left the den, walking about to see that we were among the first that were awake. The Alpha Training Party left at the crack of dawn, which meant Humphrey and my dad, because Lilly had decided earlier not to go.

Already I was starting to worry, it's a bit off season, so that means that parts of the training will be different from what I had to do when I was young. My dad also promised that it will be a bit harder for him, considering he is marrying me and is a full grown wolf rather than a pup.

"Kate, Humphrey, nice to see you up so early. Did everything go well last night?" My father, Winston greeted us as he came down from his den.

I spoke first as I knew what he wanted to hear, "Very well, our den is a good one. Quiet at night and the sunlight hits it just right in the morning."

Eve came out and gave Humphrey an aprehensive stare but was silent. Winston continued as she joined next to his side, "Are you ready for your training, I guess Kate told you a little about it?"

Humphrey smiled and nodded, "Yes sir, ready as soon as you are."

"Excellent, I am going to get things set up for when I am gone. Go ahead and say your farewells, it will be a long time before we return. Tony will be here because of his aching back and all, but he won't let anything too terribly bad happen."

"Thank you sir, I will meet you shortly for our departure" Humpherey turned to me as Winston left with a cautious Eve following him while murmuring something about Lilly and Garth.

"I still think your mother is worried about me still, I sure hope she gets over it."

I giggled, "Yeah, you have seen how protective she has been of me. It has been useful, but dangerous for everyone around me."

"Yeah, like that time she almost strangled me to death" Humphrey joked, "Some good times right there." We both started laughing together.

"I am going to miss you" He said with a frown, "But, it's for the better right?"

"Yes, always for the better" I said as calmly as I could, willing myself not to cry.

"Humphrey, it's time to go" Winston called.

"Okay, I'm coming" Humphrey replied.

I so very much wanted to go too, I suddenly felt so bad for him. Thinking back to the day that I too left for Alpha School, how I left him and never looked back, how dissapointed he was, how much he loved me. Tears started to well up in my eyes and drip from my nose, even though I tried to wipe them away.

"I love you so much" I barely managed to say.

"I love you too Kate, it won't be to long. And" Humphrey lifted his paw to catch a tear, "don't cry, I am always with you."

He placed the tear on the end of his own nose, then swiftly rushed off to Winston. He stopped midway and turned to look back at me, and I swear I saw a tear, his own, fall to the ground before he ran the rest of the way and dissapeared along with my father.

I was frozen in time, almost as if living my life again through different eyes. I saw myself walking away, and Winston stopped me as I tried to follow. His words were hard to understand, he said something about Alphas and Omegas before he too turned and left me alone. The pain was unbearable, the darkness impenetrable.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**~Humphrey~**

"I did not expect to see you coming Lilly, what made you have a sudden change of heart?" I asked as she caught up with us, knowing that Lilly had earlier denied alpha training.

"Well" Lilly sighed, "I guess it was now or never, I didn't want to be the only one left behind."

I nodded in agreement, assuming she was referring to more than being physically left behind. There was not much else to be said between us, so we shared only silence. The path was long, and we kept a swift pace which made it terrible for holding a conversation. Although it was Summer, we started to climb upwards gradually where the air became chilly and laced with traces of snow.

The sun was near setting before Winston spoke, "Now,we are entering another pack's territory. They are the Arctic Forest Pack, for obvious reasons. I have friends here, but must ask that you two stay here until we are granted permission to cross."

"Okay" we replied in sync.

Winston left in great leaps and bounds, and was soon gone from our sight. I immediately turned to Lilly, "Are you nervous at all?"

She was caught unprepared, "Um, yeah. A little I guess, I don't think I will be good at anything."  
"Nonsense, you have to be good at something! Just wait until you try, it's not like we don't have time to practice."

"True, but I have never been any good at any of this stuff. Garth would know, he tried"

"I heard a bit about that, at least you taught him how to howl. Kate told me about how it was before..."

Lilly laughed, "It was very bad, he ruined the migration pattern of a couple dozen birds."

"I bet you will do great, your father is a kind wolf and very understanding" I remembered how he was with Kate and I.

"Yeah, but still. I was born an omega, raised as an omega, planned to marry and die as an omega. This" She waved her paws around at the empty forest, "is absolutely absurd!"

"I was the same, but times change. And wouldn't you rather be an alpha? I mean I loved being an omega, it was fun while it lasted. But now, I don't want to risk my life for a thrill, I want to hunt for myself and raise a family in a big cozy den. It's time to settle down, time to move forward" I sighed and looked at her.

Her eyes were watering, "It's too true. Thank you Humphrey, I am ready to move forward."

"I am with you every step of the way, it's just you and me here in this camp" I was cut short by Winston calling.

"Humphrey, Lilly, we are granted safe passage. Let's move before night falls." At this news we ran to him, he was smiling but had worry in his eyes, "Come on, and follow quick."

We walked with much haste through their boundary lines and soon found ourselves in the middle of the camp, it was barren. I felt uneasy out in the open, I could've sworn that there were eyes watching from behind scrappy bushes and old drifts of snow. Lilly looked at me, wide eyed and nervous, I moved closer to her and kept going.

We approached the border, marked by the scent of many wolves, and after another couple minutes were in a small clearing. There was a sheer mountain face on the right side of it, and a small den-like opening. The other side had some pine trees and dying bushes almost perfectly arranged in a circle from the den.

"This is base camp" Winston announced, "And your first job is to find a den."

I smiled and was about to say something sarcastic when Winston interrupted, "BUT, you cannot stay in this one, as it is mine."

My smile faded and I gestured for Lilly to follow me. She got the message and we wandered off into the forest. The sun fell down and we were getting desperate, the chill of the night sank deep into our bones.

"This is so hard" Lilly moaned, exhausted.

"There are no dens out here, it's a frozen wasteland. There are two options I have in mind" I tried to bring out some ingenuity.

"What, freeze to death? Beg for shelter? Climb a tree?" Lilly was exasperated.

"Good ideas, but we are going to dig."

"Dig?" Lilly pawed the ground, "Through this frozen stuff?

"The only other thing I can think of would be to scale that mountain and look up there, which I am skeptical about."

"Dig it is. But let's pick a good close location." We wandered back to where base camp was, and could hear Winston snoring. We giggled a bit before finding a place away from the awful noise, and it was perfect. There was a big tree with a smaller animal hole at the base. Lilly could squeeze in just enough to start clawing the inside, but her butt was still sticking out. I laughed and started working on widening the opening so we could both fit in.

The dirt was compact and icy, my claws we near useless against it. I put hours of work into it, getting colder and more tired with every minute. My paw pads cracked and bled and then became frozen scabs, but I kept working despite the pain. I made a scenario in my head where Lilly was my pup and I had to make a den for her before the blizzard came. It worked for a while, and I collapsed with relief when Lilly finnaly slid into the opening.

"Hey, it worked" Lilly smiled and began pushing out the piles of dirt she had loosened, "Perfect timing too, I was running out of space to dig." I piled up the loose dirt around the opening and packed it down to protect us from the wind. Then I pulled myself into the den with Lilly, it was a tight sqeeze and we were practically on top of each other. But I didn't mind, I was already unconcious and dreaming of Kate and I together.

**~Kate~**

The day was lonely without Humphrey, although I tried to act strong. I was sad to find out that Lilly went too, but I told myself it was for the better. My friends came over that morning and talked on and on about everything in the world they could think of, but I didn't care to hear it. Hopefully they weren't offended by my silence.

I found myself pacing around our den most of the day, thinking about how empty it was without him there. I saw Garth during the hunt and was half-wishing he would be an emotional wreck like I was, but he was laughing with some friends, seemingly unaffected. As I ate, I thought of Humphrey out there trying to find food.

Night came and I laid down in Humphrey's spot, taking in his scent, his love. I cried a little and thought as I drifted off to sleep, "Only thirteen more days, and he will never leave me again."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**~Humphrey~**

The morning started with a howl, Winston's howl to be precise. In my semiconcious state, I told it to go away, but that didn't work well considering it had already woke me up. I then blindly proceded to roll over, and was greeted by a disgruntled Lilly. Double fail already.

"Oh, hello there" I tried to be friendly, "I think it's time for us to go."

"Hm, sure. Whatever" Lilly sleepily crawled out of the tiny opening and shook herself free of dirt, "That den is small."

"You think?" I said sarcastically as I struggled to pull myself out, "We'll fix it tonight if we aren't busy with training."

We walked the short distance from our den to the basecamp in silence, I felt a combination of anxiety and excitement, I am sure Lilly felt the same way. Winston was waiting for us, standing tall in the clearing and seemingly glowing from the rays of morning sun that fell lightly on him.

"Good morning, I hope you are all ready for your second task?" He said, raising an eyebrow at me as I yawned.

"Hmm, yes of course" I tried to stifle the yawn.

"Okay, in this task you will be given one hour of training before taking a test for the rest of the day. I will train you in one of the most essential components of an alpha's survival, hunting."

My ears perked up as I remembered food, I hadn't eaten anything yesterday. Lilly was looking nervous, but still she stood up tall and tried to be courageous. "I guess we're ready then, let's go" I stood up, wagging my tail with excitement.

We started down a small trail with some caribou tracks, Winston explained how we can analyze the tracks and learn more about the prey we are following. "You see, there are not very many tracks here, maybe just enough for three caribou. If you look at this hoof-print, you can tell that it is deeper in the ground than the rest. What could this mean?"

There was a moment of silence before Lilly spoke, "Mom told me a bit about something like this. It could be limping, so maybe it's injured."

"That is a possibility, especially in this case where the limp is consistent. If we find them, we will check to see if you are right" He smiled.

The trail went on for quite a while, Winston discussed techniques on how to pounce and take down an animal. We practiced by aiming for rocks and trees, I almost caught a rabbit, and Lilly was really good at moving silently in the grass. The tracks kept getting newer and the limping of the one kept getting worse, I told Lilly that she could have first pick.

And there they were, exactly three of them in a snowy clearing pulling out the frozen remains of last summer's grass. Food was scarce and lacked proper nutrients, so they were thin and weak, it was so easy.

Winston whispered, "Final Exam time. One of you will go first and head straight for the kill, the second one will chase another one down."

"You first" I offered Lilly. She smiled and nodded, crouching down and sneaking towards the unsuspecting prey. She was about a yard away before the caribou saw her, and by then it was too late. She had her fangs around it's throat, and with a quick snap the neck was broken.

The other two caribou were shocked, and got a late start running away. I leaped from the bushes and took after one of them with as much speed as I could muster, soon catching up with it. Time seemed to freeze as I leaped through the air and onto it's back, claws ripping through it's tender flesh, teeth sinking in and crushing the bone, blood gushing into my mouth warm and delicious. The caribou was dead as it fell, but I refused to let go until it didn't get up.

I pulled my teeth out and licked my snout clean, satisfied with my work. Winston called out and emerged from the bushes, "That was great, good timing, perfect takedown, and no suffering. Now we move on to the fun part."My mouth was drooling with anticipation as I waited for him to say those magic words.

"You are to take the entire caribou back to your den without eating any of it." My brain came to a hault, did this mean no food yet? Stomach churning, I slunk back to my carribou and struggled to lift it onto my back. Lilly was having the same problem, but seemed to manage okay once it was on.

"You ready Lilly?" I asked kindly.

"Sure, let's hurry" I could see the dissapointment in her eyes, the newfound hunger.

Every step I took, the caribou grew colder and tougher. I tried to go faster, but it only made me tire quicker. It was mid-afternoon before we reached camp, and I collapsed while the cold dead animal rolled off of me. Lilly followed suit, laying next to me with blood still dried on her fur.

She started licking me on my back in my most ticklish spot and I burst out laughing for the first time in a while, "Why are you doing that, it tickles!"

"Whoops, sorry. I was trying to clean off all this blood, it makes me nervous" She laughed a little too.

"Well, let me help you out" I started licking her fur while she licked mine. We were all done in about ten minutes, but there was still no sign of Winston.

"Maybe he is testing us, to see if we will follow his orders" Lilly suggested.

"Maybe he is lost" Although I had a hard time picturing Winston getting lost.

"Maybe I've been behind this tree the whole time" His voiced boomed out from behind us.

Lilly and I leaped to our feet, I drew back my lips into a deadly snarl and pushed Lilly behind me. Winston laughed and popped out from behind a scrawny tree, "You two are really tired, we'll have to work on your awareness. And Humphrey, put those teeth back where they belong. I know you are trying to protect my daughter, but I am not a threat to her."

I blushed and returned to my normal stance, Lilly returning to my side. "Sorry, overreacting."

"That's a good thing, but let's make sure you don't have to use it. You can now eat your food, but save some for later or you'll regret it" Winston vanished into the trees. Our dinner was frozen and stiff as bark, but I had never had a meal so delicious.

**~Kate~**

The first night he was gone was rough, to say the least. I barely slept at all, waking up every couple of minutes and sobbing. I ran out of tears, and just laid there with tired eyes. At some point I fell asleep again, which was a blessing and a curse because I slept past the hunt and it was now high noon.

I walked carefully and silently to the pond, as if one wrong step would bring back the fit of tears that soaked our den last night. Garth was there, alone, perfect target.

"Hey, G-Garth" I stuttered.

He leaped back in surprise, falling into the water. He crawled out, "Kate? I didn't expect to see you today."

"Why not?" I asked, slightly amused after seeing him fall into the pond.

"Well, we thought you were upset about Humphrey leaving and stuff" He looked away.

"And you aren't?" I questioned, hoping to get some answers from him.

" Coyote- I mean Humphrey and I were not best friends as you may have noticed."

"No you idiot" I said, getting frustrated, "I'm talking about Lilly, don't you miss her?"

"What do you mean? Lilly didn't go to Alpha School..." He was genuinely confused.

I wanted to slap him so hard, but I just barely managed to hold it in. "Lilly went with Humphrey, Eve told me on the day they left."

"Oh, I didn't have a clue" Garth blushed and looked somewhat ashamed.

I had enough of this, all my emotions exploded in his face, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW! WOULD'NT YOU NOTICE THAT YOUR VERY OWN WIFE WENT MISSING? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT SOMETIMES!" I wished he would cry, I wanted him to do something, but he was too stunned to speak at first.

"Okay" He tried to calm me down, "Here is the truth, Lilly and I had a little argument before she left. She didn't want to go, she thought she wasn't good enough. I told her it was fine if she didn't want to go, that I could be good enough for both of us. Then she started crying something and ran out, I thought she just wanted some alone time and was expecting to find her later today."

It took a moment for me to decide what to do, I was wroth with anger. My paw was lightning as it came across his face, leaving bloody claw marks on his cheek. "OW!" He whined and almost fell over.

"That is nothing compared to what I should do! You insulted my sister, you hurt her just as bad as any wolf could do with their claws. She loves you Garth, and she wants to provide for the family that you two will have! Get over your stupid pride and treat her like the sweet and loving wolf I know she is! Lilly is better than you will ever be, so treat her like it!" I was snarling and up in his face, screaming.

Garth's eyes were wide and his face void of emotion as his mind tried to soak in the words I was pounding into his eardrums. I turned and ran back to my den sobbing again, just in time to remember Humphrey was still gone. I wanted him to hold me so bad, to tell me everything was going to be okay.

"Good thing he's out there for Lilly, at least somebody is" I thought to myself as I crawled into the deepest and darkest corner of our den. "I really need to get a hold of myself, this is out of control. There is always tomorrow, and Humphrey will be back soon. Soon."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**~Winston~**

Camp was a breeze, I simply could not believe that Lilly and Humphrey were learning so quickly. We were one week in and they had already mastered all the objectives except the Final Challenge.

"Maybe I can spice it up a little this time, do some improvising. Hasn't killed me yet" I thought out loud as I watched the sun peek over the treeline. Time to wake up the sleepyheads.

"Good morning Winston!" Humphrey greeted me as I stepped out of my den, he was already waiting with Lilly in the clearing.

"Hey, why are you up so early?" I asked him.

"Well, this is the exact time you wake us up every day. Thought we would just save you the trouble, and it wasn't hard at all."

"Okay then, let's get started" I said, trying to hide how tired I was. These kids were catching up on me.

**~Garth~**

I think I might've killed Kate, she has gone insane. After she ran off I never saw her again, but I didn't even want to look for her. I heard that she was starving, refused to come outside and eat or talk to anyone. She almost lost it when Eve visited, which surprised us all.

I couldn't believe that Lilly just left like that, she should've told me that she felt that way. "Who am I kidding?" I asked myself as I reflected on Kate's words, "I only have myself to blame, I just hope we see each other again. I can't live with those last words."  
From the corner of my eye I saw something and gasped with shock.

**~Kate~**

"I have had enough of THIS!" My mind snapped back on and I shoved myself to my feet, only to crumple to the floor again in exhaustion. I needed food, I wanted to talk to somebody, I just had to get up first.

One paw at a time, I was able to drag myself to the entrance of the den and stand on wobbly legs. My eyes burned, dry and struggling to adjust to the spectrum of light and color all around me. But the rising sun was warm and comforting, the only comfort I've had since...

"I won't even think about it" I whispered to myself in a shaking voice, "Just get water." I stumbled blindly forward at an alarming rate for my incapacitated brain. Dimly in my mind I felt as I ran straight into something, it was furry and smelled like something I remembered from long ago.

**~Garth~**

I watched, dumbfounded as Kate stumbled out of her den and right into me. It was like being hit with a dead twig, it probably hurt her more than I felt it. She was like a twig herself, her fur was dull and dirty, her eyes were crossed and half-opened as she stared up at me.

I wanted to laugh, but I was worried for her too, "Kate, are you okay? Kate, talk to me!"

One of her eyes lazily drifted over in my direction and very slowly blinked once, twice, and closed. She shot up like a bullet screaming, "GARTH!" and then fell over again. "Hi there, I just water now. Soon, me thirsty."

It was a pathetic sight to see as she pushed herself forward a few feet using only her hind legs, then proceded to lick the dirt as if it was the best "water" she had ever tasted.

I sighed, "If you slap me again, I swear I will move to another pack."

**~Kate~**

I was getting a drink of water, but it tasted wrong to me and my mouth felt drier than ever. Suddenly I got the sensation that I was being pulled along the ground, I felt like I was flying.

It wasn't long before I stopped and crumpled to the ground. But to add on top of my crash landing, some stupid water was splashing in my face. "Water" I said dumbly and flopped towards the source. My face submerged and I took a huge drink of water, some in my mouth, some down my nose, I didn't really care anymore.

The water helped to wake me up, to bring me back to life. I looked around, there was a wolf standing there looking at me strange, a pool of water with a cloud of dirt in it, and a dim reflection of myself lumped up on the ground.

"What are you doing here mister?" I asked, the words sounded funny as they came out of my mouth, slurred almost.

"What am I doing here? Oh nothing, just getting you the water I think you wanted" He seemed kind enough

"Thanks, much appreciated." I slurped water for a while longer before standing up, still weak.

"Now, let's see. Who are you, and where is this?" My eyes wouldn't focus right, and my brain worked as well as a lump of mud.

"Hold still, I am going to be right back" The wolf said as his blurry spot ran out of my visual range. It reminded me of when those humans caught us, so pretty, so sleepy.

**~Eve~**

Garth came into my den from out of nowhere panting and trying to form coherent sentences.

"Well say something will you? Don't think you can just barge on in here!" I was somewhat upset.

"Your daughter" Garth tried to catch his breath, "Is being delirious, and needs help."

"My daughter, you mean Kate?"

He nodded, "Follow" and then he ran off again. I chased after him until I caught her scent, and sprinted the rest of the way to her.

"Oh my, Kate? Are you okay?" I gasped.

"Mom? How did you get here? And that other wolf, he gave me water, such a nice wolf" Kate rambled a little bit more.

I turned to Garth, "Could you carry her..."

"If I see Garth again, I might just..." Kate interrupted and wandered forward, moving towards Eve.

"Or maybe not, here she comes" I told Garth as I put one of Kate's paws over my shoulder and helped walk her to my den.

"Come along Kate, we're going home."

"Home, such a nice place" She whispered in my ear.

**~Kate~**

I woke up looking at a vast field of stars, shimmering as the sun rose above the horizon and shone directly into my face. Blinking I lifted my head to see my Mom nearby, she turned her head and sighed.

"Kate?" She asked.

"Mom? Why am I in your cave, Is there something I missed?" I was happy but confused.

"I'll try to fill you in. You didn't come out of your den for a few days, got to the point where you had mostly went insane, Garth saw you and brought me over, and I took care of you all of yesterday and last night" Eve said simply.

"What about Humphrey and Dad, what about our pups..." My voice trailed off as I went into deep thought, "The pups we don't have."

"You made some very good conversations though, must've been part of your dreams. Anyways, Humphrey Lilly, and your father are still at camp but should be returning soon. Hutch ran as messenger yesterday and said they should be done sooner than expected."

I was glad she dropped the thing about pups, but I was sure it would come up later. "Can I go outside mom?" I felt like a pup myself, asking for permission to go and play.

"Don't ask me, can you go outside?" Eve was just as curious as myself.

"I don't know" I forced myself to my paws, and after that it was just one paw at a time with Eve helping. It took me longer than it should have, but eventually I reached the pond and took a big long drink before seeing the condition of myself. It looked like I had crawled into a dark hole, died, and then crawled back out again and pretended to live.

I carefully lowered myself into the water and scrubbed off the filth with my paws. "Honestly" I talked to Eve as she scrubbed off my back, "I am glad Humphrey wasn't here. Not that he would care, he loves me no matter how terrible I look, but I like to look nice for him. Earlier, I would've scared him off."

"He loves you very much Kate, it's killing him to be gone for so long. Hutch said that he is doing well though."

"I knew he would, and it won't be long before he gets back."

**~Humphrey~**

As I sprinted down my running path, trying to build up endurance and speed, I noticed how much I had changed. I had quickly gotten thinner, but my muscles bigger and tighter. I moved and thought quicker, jumped farther, and walked with carefully honed stealth.

Lilly had improved too, I didn't think she could've gotten thinner, but she surprised me. Her hunting was graceful and full of deadly precision, to say the least. Winston and I were both shocked when she landed a triple backflip on the first try, I couldn't help thinking of Kate though.

I was counting down the days, every sunset was another one bringing me closer to Kate, closer to our family. Maybe we'll go to Idaho, maybe we could be pack leaders here, who knows what could happen to tomorrow?


	6. Chapter 6

**~Winston~**

It was perfect. A perfect plan, one sure to surprise them. I almost wanted to let loose an evil laugh, but I wasn't evil and didn't want to scare anyone. Although I did chuckle a bit as I thought about it, this was a really great plan.

I had been up all night, pacing, plotting, and finnaly I knew what to do. They would wake up in a few hours, I needed to get ready for them. I went off to find the first ingriedient, something sharp and pointy.

**~Lilly~**

I woke up before Humphrey, a rare occurance but nonetheless appreciated. It was barely light outside, so I only had a few moments to enjoy the lonely silence.

But it was during that moment that I started to hear something strange, and it didn't sound good. I sniffed the air, catching subtle traces of what I most dreaded, blood.

"Humphrey!" I whispered in a panicked voice.

He was almost instantly awake, "What's wrong? Why does it smell like blood?"

"I don't know, but we have to find out" I told him as I peeked around outside the den, "Let's go."

Humphrey pushed me aside and went out first, "Sorry, just wanted to make sure it was safe."

The smell was everywhere, just hanging in the air like an invisible cloud of death. It seemed familiar though, like I had smelled it before. "Let's go find my father" I told Humphrey as I walked towards his den.

My dad came lurching out of his den, "Dad! What is going..." I trailed off as he came closer, seeing that he had hundreds of scratches on him. His eyes were bloodshot and looked incredibly tired, and his breathing came unevenly in rasping gasps.

"Lilly, I have to tell you something. I don't think I'll make it" He shut his eyes and didn't speak for a minute.

"Dad, it's okay. You're going to be okay, shush now and we will get you home" I rambled, trying to be calm.

"I am not your father Lilly" His voice rattled, "You were born into the Artic Forest Pack, your mom was a very good friend of mine. When you were first born she summoned me to her, and I came all the way from a meeting with the southern pack. She was gravely ill and could not take care of you, she wanted me to protect you as if you were my own daughter."

I stood in shock, trying to fit in all the puzzle pieces.

He continued after taking some deeper, more desperate breaths, "I took you in, Eve nursed you alonside Kate. I always loved you so much, but could do so little to help. Now I can only hope that you can forgive me for bringing you up here into this mess."

"What mess dad? You've done nothing wrong" I tried not to cry with the confusion and despair.

"They're after me, you need to run. Go home, tell your mom what happened, tell everybody that..." Winston stopped and coughed for a while before concluding, "that I love them, love you so much."

My dad, or at least I thought he was, rolled over and exhaled one last time. I didn't know what to say, so I simply cried.  
Tears dribbled off the end of my nose like a waterfall, constant and unending.

"You're still my dad, and I still love you" I whispered in his ear before I laid down next to him, almost as if he has giving me a hug. Humphrey raised his head and let out a sorrowful howl, a constant and unwavering note of saddness that echoed throughout the entire area.

Time was frozen for a few seconds before some wolves started to emerge from the trees, pure white wolves.

**~Humphrey~**

The wolves came up to me, just two of them although I sensed more beyond, "What has happened?"

I shook my head, "I don't know, you can look if you would like." The wolves walked over and then staggered backwards hastily, "He is long gone, and you two are goners. It is a poison, a disease he has, and you have it too. It's only a matter of time now."

They left us feeling worse than we did before, now knowing our own fate.

"Lilly, get up. You need to go home and tell your mom."

She was stubborn from the sadness, "I am not leaving my dad out here alone, and that is that."

I shoved my nose under Winston and got him up onto my back, "We're going, we can't stay here. Our home could be under attack by whatever wolves did this to him. They all deserve to know what happened, and quickly."

Lilly nodded, "Okay, do you want me to carry him?"

"No, I have him now" I started walking towards what I thought was home, "This is the least I can do out of respect for him and his two wonderful daughters."

Lilly said nothing, and I couldn't blame her. At this very moment, Winston was dead or dying and so were we. There was also the predicament of finding our way home, which was harder than it seemed. It had rained a while back and all of our old scents were washed away, after we were outside of our camp borders it was a world of mystery.

We learned how to tell direction by the position of objects in the sky, but we could still miss our pack territory by miles if we weren't careful. It was Lilly who led the way this time, vaguely remembering the path we took. We were moving at a steady pace, the silence unnerving. But as soon as the growling started, I wanted the silence to come back.

"Lilly, I don't think we are welcome in this territory anymore" I whispered, frightened by the possibilities.

"He speaks the truth, leave now" A gruff disembodied voice spoke from the bushes.

"But sir, we have to get home. And we have to go quick, will you please just let us through?" Lilly pleaded with it.

"Nope, that's your problem and not mine" It answered with a tone of finality.

Lilly and I turned to leave, tails dragging in the dirt. We would have to find another way, it wouldn't be easy, and I was already tiring.

"Wait!" another voice called and stopped us in our tracks, it was an elderly female wolf. We turned to see her, and the resemblance was all too obvious. Her fur was pure white like a big fluffy cloud, and although she was weak from age her lavender eyes radiated the warm light of the kind spirit within.

"Who are you?" Lilly asked, now curious of this wolf.

"Ah, it has been a long time since I have seen you Lilly. I met you once, just once when you had barely opened your eyes. I bet you don't remember me from all the way back then.

Lilly shook her head but failed to say anymore so the wolf continued, "I was your mother's older sister, but you don't remember your mother now do you? That was an unfortunate thing, she lived such a wonderful life."

"You knew my mother but never told me? Why?" Lilly was holding back tears.

"I wanted to protect you, and your mother had me sworn into secrecy. She wanted you to grow up happily, and it looked like it worked. But for now, we must travel and quickly. I will guide you through our territory, they wouldn't dare hurt me."

We followed as she turned and walked straight through the heart of the territory. The wolf who had stopped us earlier came up to her, "But we can't let them through, they..."

Lilly's aunt cut him short, "I will hear nothing of it, and that is final. We do not treat guests in this way, what would your parents think of your behaviour?"

The wolf hunkered down and ran off with his tail between his legs, obviously embarassed. No one else dared to approach, we were not the kind of group they wanted to mingle with. One diseased, one elderly, and one emotionally unstable.

"This is as far as I may take you" She stopped just inside the scent barrier, "I wish you all well, and I hope to see you again. I am sorry our meeting had to be so rushed, we will have a proper chat next time."

"Thank you so much for helping us though, I will never forget how much we owe you" Lilly smiled.

"You owe me nothing, you are the living blood of my sister and for that I am forever endebted to you. Oh, and good luck with Garth" she winked.

Lilly blushed and resumed our journey home, this time at a much faster pace. The trip up to this point had taken a full day, we only had half a day left. And traveling in unfamiliar territory by night was a disaster waiting to happen, especially with those other wolves Winston mentioned.

Night enevitably came yet we were still quite a ways away, we could just barely smell our camp. Lilly and I were sprinting, faster than we have ever gone before. Suddenly, from out of the dark came a wolf. I saw it, but couldn't stop myself from crashing into it. I tumbled head over heels and crashed into a tree, just when I thought the night couldn't get any darker I was knocked out cold.


	7. Chapter 7

**~Kate~**

I was tired of waiting, I had to go find him. "Tonight" I told myself, "will not be spent alone crying." I set out from my parent's den, trying not to wake Eve as I went to find him.

I had just left the border, and my heart was pounding with excitement. I thought I could almost smell him when suddenly something very huge and very fast collided with my left shoulder. I rolled out of it and lept to my feet, braced for the next attack, but there was none. I went to investigate and found my dad unconcious, and Lilly very stunned looking at a muscular figure underneath a tree.

My brain put the pieces together and screamed, "Humphrey!" I leaped onto him and started licking him and telling him how much I missed him, but he didn't move a muscle. He was out cold.

"Lilly, it's nice to see you back. How'd it go and what is going on?"

She sighed in exasperation, "I am going to take dad to Eve right now, you take Humphrey wherever, and I'll explain it all later."

I didn't even think, I picked up Humphrey with new strength and carried him back to the den. He was all mine again, and this time I will never lose him.

**~Humphrey~**

I woke up feeling really warm and comfortable, it was a nice change. There was also a new scent, like a field full of fresh summer berries. I pried my eyelids open to see what was going on, and there was an angel sitting in my den. Kate had her paws wrapped around me and her nose was laying on my chest, she opened her eyes and looked deep into mine. The biggest smile I've ever seen stretched across her face.

"Humphrey! I'm so glad to see you! Why were you gone so long, and look what happened to you! I missed you so much, I almost died from anticipation! But now you're home and I'm never letting you out of my sight again! I love you so much, and you're mine forever now" She licked my nose after finishing her rambling.

I was shocked and had no clue what to say, "I love you too, it's so good to be back with you again. You have no clue what we had to do to get back. And now there is a problem, it has to do with your father."

She stopped smiling and the temperature in the den plummeted, "What is wrong?"

I explained how he got hurt and could be dead, how I carried him back and what might be going on now, "Is he with Eve now?"

"Lilly said she was taking him to Eve and that she would explain later, I was so excited to see you that it didn't even cross my mind" Kate said, now concerned.

"You should go check on him" I told her, "I will go with you."

"It's much appreciated, but you don't have to" A voice said from the entrance of the den, and we both jumped. Winston came in along with Lilly, they were both smiling.

I tried to form a coherrent question but failed, Winston understood, "It was part of your training, and you passed with flying colors. I was running out of lessons since day one, so I thought of one that would really test you. It was difficult to pull off, but I needed to make sure I had the best of Alphas leading the pack."

"But, how?" I was still confused, "We thought you were dead!"

He laughed, "Rare ghost berries, sweet on the outside, bitter on the inside. When eaten they simulate death for one whole day. Most of the northern pack up there doesn't know their secret, they think they turn you into a ghost, hence the name. They also have some very nasty thorns" He rubbed a particularly long scratch on his forearm.

My shock turned into respect, "That was a very crafty move then, I had no idea. But does this mean our training is over?"

"Yes, the ceremony is tomorrow" He confirmed.

"Yes!" Kate whispered and pulled me into a hug.

Winston eyed us warily before turning to leave, "I'll leave you two alone for tonight, and expect to see you both well rested in the morning."

"Yes sir, have a good night!" I called after him.

"This has been an interesting evening, now hasn't it?" Kate asked.

"Yes, quite. I don't know what to think" I answered, "Maybe it will sort itself out when I sleep on it."

Kate looked dissapointed for some reason, "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to, you know..."

I was taken by surprise again, "Kate, I don't know about that. I think your father forbid it."

"Who cares about him? What if this is our last chance, don't you want a family?"

"Kate you have me forever, and I do want a family, but now is not the time. Not tonight, maybe not this week, but soon" I tried to be sensitive, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"It's okay, I understand" She said, smiling again. "Besides, I am just glad that you're back home" She pushed me down playfully and laid with her back right up against my chest. I cradled her and started to drift off.

"Wait, Humphrey?"

"Yes Kate?" I replied, already sleepy.

"I wanna go to Idaho, we can start a new pack there."

"Why? Do you not like it here?"

"No, I love it" She defended, "But I wanna go somewhere new, get a fresh start. I want it to be just you, me, and all of our pups. It's so peaceful and open, and like you said, a park shouldn't be without some wolves."

I laughed, "Okay then Kate, you got me. When do you want to go?"

"Tomorrow" she said softly.

"Okay, when can we realistically leave?"

We both laughed, "That's a tough one, as soon as my mom is okay with it. We will also have to find Marcel and Paddy, because I sure don't remember the whole way back to Idaho."

"Okay, tomorrow after the ceremony we will ask Eve if we can leave. Then we leave on the train anyways, and hopefully we will see them soon. Sound like a plan?"

"Yes, you promise to go?" Kate challenged.

"I promise" I said and hugged her a little closer.

She just laughed and went to sleep, I followed quickly.

**~Winston~**

The night was fairly quiet, which meant Kate and Humphrey followed my wishes. I wandered around camp, waiting for everyone else to wake up. The berries had left my throat parched and ruined my sleep schedule, if I wasn't careful I might just become nocturnal.

"No matter" I said to myself, "The ceremony will be short and soon I will be tired, maybe the pack can give me this day to rest and sort myself out. Maybe I could visit Tony, see how the old wolf is doing, then we can suffer together."

"Sounds like fun" Kate said as she popped up beside me, scaring me half-to-death.

I recovered quickly, "Good morning Kate, Humphrey" I nodded to him as he sat down next to her, "Why are you awake already, you don't have to be up this early."

"Well, we kind-of wanted to talk to you alone" Kate began, "Last night we decided that we want to go back to Idaho, and we had to get your approval first. And maybe you could help us talk to mom about it?"

"You want to go back? To Idaho? Why?" I was puzzled.

"We just think it's a good idea" Humphrey chimed in, Kate looked up at him adoringly and nuzzled his nose.

"Oh. Oh! I see, well um. Okay then, I'm fine" I reluctantly told them.

"Are you sure?" Kate asked, cocking her head.

I frowned a bit, "I will miss my Kate, but whatever you think is best; I only want to make you happy."

"I knew you would understand" she gave me a hug, "and I promise we will visit, it is part of the plan."

"I'll make sure and convince your mother of it before the ceremony, you can leave anytime after that" I went to wake up Eve and tell her the news, bracing myself for the worst.

**~Garth~**

I woke up to find Lilly sitting at the mouth of the den looking straight at me. She looked different, stronger, more confident, more beautiful. She spoke to me in the same melodious voice, "I am sorry I ran off and left you, I should've never done that to you. But I hope we can get along better now, now that you are equally matched."

"I am sorry that I offended you, and I've thought about it a lot this past week. I really love you and hope I can make it up to you" I apologized sincerely, "Why are you back so early? I thought camp was two weeks..."

"It's a long story, but we have to go to the ceremony, now" Lilly vanished and was already halfway to the valley before I caught up. I knew everything was going to be alright.

**~Humphrey~**

"Today is a very special day for us" Winston began speaking to both of the packs, "Because today we join together in union as two wolves cross the border between alpha and omega. I have trained these two wolves and found them to be in every way I can think, as good as or better than our alphas. They are the elite, quick minded, strong, swift as a river, courageous, loyal, and loving."

Kate licked my nose at that, and he continued, "I Winston of the Western pack in Jasper, declare you Humphrey to be forever and henceforth an Alpha. Protect Kate with your life, and be good to her at your new pack in Idaho."

The crowd burst into yelps of joy, even the hesitant Eve as I shook Winston's paw and sealed the deal.

**~Lilly~**

"I Winston of the Western pack in Jasper, declare you Lilly to be forever and henceforth an Alpha. I wish you all the best of luck as you take your parent's place in leading this pack to eternal glory" Winston smiled and held out his paw, which I completely ignored and gave him a big hug around the neck. He returned my hug as the wolves started howling and the ceremony ended.

I turned to Garth and gave him a hug to, and thus began a new chapter in our lives.

**~Kate~**

"What is this I hear about going back to Idaho? If you really missed us that much you could've just said so" Marcel swooped down from the trees, Paddy following close behind.

"Oh, you heard that? Yeah, we just thought that now would be a good time to find a place to settle down. It's nice to see you here though, I'm glad you could make it."

"Oh yes" Paddy answered, "We were just heading back to Idaho and thought we would drop in."

"That's great, now you can lead us back right? We were planning on leaving with the train that should be coming by in a couple of hours" Humphrey interjected.

"Why sure, it sounds like a splendid idea" Paddy smiled, "and then you two can have some fun."

Marcel sighed, "Paddy..."

"Well, we all know it's true" Paddy argued. Kate and I just looked at each other and smiled.

_6/6/12_

* * *

_We are now back on track, this chapter just broke 2000 words. Now that we have resumed my universal standard, I think we will see some better writing._

_Yesterday due to lack of sleep and a Wi-FI card failure, I did not post chapter six in a timely manner. So I have posted BOTH chapter six and seven tonight to make up for where I was lacking._

_In the future I had planned some, you know, suggestive content. But on June 5, a note went out saying:  
"Please note we would like to clarify the content policy we have in place since 2002. follows the Fiction Rating system ranging from Fiction K to Fiction M. Although Fiction Ratings goes up to Fiction MA, since 2002 has not allowed Fiction MA rated content which can contain adult/explicit content on the site. only accepts content in the Fiction K through Fiction M range. Fiction M can contain adult language, themes and suggestions. Detailed descriptions of physical interaction of sexual or violent nature is considered Fiction MA and has not been allowed on the site since 2002."  
I will abide strictly by the law, but my process of doing so will be determined by your reviews._

_**Option 1** - I make the content and post externally with a link_

_**Option 2** - I censor the content, so it is subtle and it never details the um, process._

_You decide, and have a good day!_

_PS: If you have content violating the above rule, I suggest backing it up somewhere. Just copy/paste it from the site and put it in a text document. Some of these writings are very good and it would be sad if they were lost._


End file.
